San Diego County, San Diego Rat Control Situation:
Hi David, Is a UV blacklight still useful, exterior-wise, if it rains after the rodents leave their urine stains? I am in the process of performing exterior maintenance to better exclude my roof rats. 1) I have a 25 year old cedar shake roof in San Diego California with openings under each shake along the rake edge of the roof at the gable ends of my house. There's no drip edge, i.e. under the shakes I have roofing paper (now somewhat curled) that runs more or less up to and rests right atop the fascia board. Because I have skip sheathing, and since the cross section of a shake is a wedge that is up to one inch at the upper, thick end, this appears to create many huge entry points along the rake edges even though the sheathing is rabbeted into the fascia board. As a result, I'm thinking of getting a UV blacklight to use outside the house to sleuth for urine stains along the upper edge of the gable end shakes and fascia boards. My question is, how easily does the winter rain wash away the urine, rendering this a pointless exercise? 2) I noticed a new product called "rat-out gel" and was thinking of applying it along the rake edges mentioned above. Or, maybe I should just buy many rolls of X-Clude and use that instead. Or maybe both. Any comment? Thanks very much for your website, Doug
My response: First off, I do not have experience using UV lights to detect rat urine. But I do suspect that rain will severely limit the effectiveness of this approach. I have never heard of Rat-Out Gel or XClude, but I typically stick to physical barriers rather than repellent type devices. If your roof makes this impossible, you might have a tough time keeping the rats out.
San Diego Rat Control Tip of The Week
How Can I Receive Free Rat Removal?
Rat proliferation has become a real headache. Over time, they multiply and can affect our lives in very negative ways. They are a vehicle for germs and bacteria, as well as various diseases that could be fatal.
An Unwanted Visitor Who Has Come To Stay
Even if you have the most rigorous cleaning and hygiene methods at home, in warehouses or food sales sites (supermarkets or restaurants), the slightest hole exposes us completely to this unwanted visitor. Rats are flexible, agile, and by nature prowling, so if they get the chance, they will come in and soon invite their whole family to stay in your home.
Ways To Get Rid Of Them
Rats are very fertile animals; in a matter of 21 to 24 days, a rat can have 5 to 15 pups, which will reach sexual maturity after 4 or 5 weeks. Can you imagine the speed of their reproduction?
You can follow these tips:- Keep all areas clean and totally free of crumbs.
- Keep garbage tightly closed at night.
- Make sure there are no cracks, holes, or any other entrances that will allow them to enter.
- Keep any water outlets closed with their grids.
- Do not leave dry food within reach of these animals.
But... What Happens If The Situation Exceeds My Abilities To Exterminate This Pest?
It is always best to go to the experts in rat extermination, but each town has a public health and sanitation system, which is responsible for keeping pests under control.
You can ask for an inspection, and they will determine if it is a public health problem. Prevention and hygiene will always be the best methods to avoid contact with these animals that cause so many diseases.
